Why learn the guitar fretboard?

There are a whole bunch of notes on the guitar fretboard, so if you are going to give it a go, you’d better give it a good effort.

Lots of guitar players think it is not worth spending a whole lot of time on learning the fretboard, especially if you just want to strum along to singing.

But if you want to improve your playing, and if you want to know your way around traditional music scores,  learning more about the guitar fretboard will definitely make you more versatile. Rhythm guitar players, will  learn chord options you didn’t see before – different chord shapes and root positions, chords on two or three or four strings, and so on.

Bass guitar players will have many more options. Having a good grasp of the fretboard will open up alternatives you didn't think of before. You will see new options for arpeggios and bass runs which can only  make you a better, more interesting bass guitar player.

For lead guitar players, knowing the fretboard has obvious advantages. You'll see possibilities you didn’t think of before, note combinations you weren't aware of and your playing will be more interesting.

Finally,  you’ll be able to play in any key. When somebody says “F” you’ll know exactly where that is in a bunch of different places on the fretboard, and you'll be able to make use of the most appropriate position.

Learn the fretboard to become a better all around musician.